Coconut-Peanut Butter Chickpea and Broccoli Stir-Fry is ready in a manner of minutes, making it the ideal dinner dish for busy weeknights. This easy to make veggie stir-fry recipe is vegan and gluten-free.
Easy Weeknight Dinner
Dinnertime at the home of a food blogger can be strange. On some days, I cook uber-fancy meals like Lasagna Roll Ups with roasted Brussels sprouts or French Mustard Seitan with mashed potatoes and steamed kale. And on other days, I make super lazy meals of boxed mac and cheese with a package of pre-chopped broccoli thrown in. It’s true – even food bloggers don’t always want to cook.
Go-To Stir-Fries
This stir-fry isn’t quite on the boxed mac and cheese level of lazy cooking, but it is super easy to make. Simple recipes like this one are actually in my rotation of go-to dinner dishes on days when I’m not cooking something for the blog.
Stir-fries are so easy that often I don’t follow a recipe. I see what veggies I have on hand in the fridge, throw them in a pan, and then whisk together a sauce. I’ve used broccoli and chickpeas for this stir-fry, because I really just love the two of them together. Chopped red bell pepper was added for a little color.
Spicy Peanut Sauce
Spicy stir-fry sauces are my favorites, but I love teriyaki, too. This chickpea and broccoli stir-fry recipe is made with a spicy peanut sauce, which is my all-time favorite. Something magical happens when peanut butter meets spicy chilis. I do have a recipe for spicy peanut sauce here on the blog from a few years ago, but this one is slightly different. It uses coconut milk, where the older one called for water. This one also has fewer ingredients, making it easier to throw together after work.
When making this sauce, make sure you use coconut milk from a can, and not coconut milk beverage from a carton. They’re too very different things.
Garlic chili paste is my favorite ingredient for adding heat to my spicy peanut sauces. I once did a food demo at a veg fest, and they asked for my grocery list. I was making Broccoli and Tempeh with Spicy Peanut Sauce, so I asked for garlic chili paste. What I ended up with was a spicy dipping sauce. It worked, but it wasn’t idea. I use Huy Fong Chili Garlic Sauce, and I go through it super quickly! If you can’t get your hands on a jar, you can use sambal oelek, sriracha, or even just a little crushed red pepper flakes. If you’re sensitive to heat, reduce the amount of spice you use or leave it out altogether.
Coconut-Peanut Butter Chickpea and Broccoli Stir-Fry is super easy to make!
- First, whisk together the sauce ingredients.
- Then, cook the broccoli and bell pepper in a large pan over medium-high heat.
- Next, add the sauce to pan and cook until it’s heated throughout.
- Dinner is ready!
This Chickpea and Broccoli Stir-Fry takes less than half an hour from start to finish, so it can be on the table in less time than it would take to get take-out. It can be served with either brown rice or rice noodles. When I cook rice, I like to make huge batches of it and freeze what I’m not going to eat right away. That way, I always have some on hand for stir-fry nights!
Coconut-Peanut Butter Chickpea and Broccoli Stir-Fry
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup coconut milk (not coconut milk beverage)
- ¼ cup creamy natural peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons tamari
- 1 tablespoon garlic chili sauce
- 2 teaspoons lime juice
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon peanut oil
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1 bunch broccoli cut into bite-sized florets about 12 ounces
- 1 14-ounce can chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 2 scallions chopped
- Cooked brown rice or cooked rice noodles for serving, optional
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, peanut butter, garlic chili paste, tamari, lime juice, minced garlic, and ginger. Set aside.
- In a large skillet or pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the bell pepper and broccoli and cook, stirring frequently, until the pepper has softened and the broccoli has turned bright green, about 10 minutes. Add the chickpeas to the pan.
- Pour the coconut-peanut butter sauce into the pan and stir to coat the vegetables. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce has heated throughout.
- Remove from heat and top with the chopped scallions. Serve with cooked brown rice or cooked rice noodles. Serve hot.
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